Vuvuzelas spread infection?

[Avenue]

While visiting my doctor this morning, I made a remark about the vuvuzelas, and he told me something that actually made quite a lot of sense, but was rather disturbing.

He said that he played trumpet at one stage, and after each performance, he would have to clear out at least a spoonful of saliva. Now in the same way, when people blow vuvuzelas, tiny droplets of saliva are blown out, carried through the air, to finally settle on and be breathed in by the people around them. He then pointed out that TB, swine flu and a number of other diseases are primarily transmitted through the saliva, and when you have 40 000 people blowing these in an area with no through-draft, it is a breading ground for infection. He then predicted that the aftermath of this is going to be astronomical.

This makes sense to me, but at the same time vuvuzelas are nothing new; they have been around for a long time, and I have never heard of any problems, so I am wondering how much truth there is to this?

 

[killadoob]

LOL

Geez i am sure it must be a huge problem considering how the SA's have been blowing them for years, soweto derby i recall 20000 infected with TB . Of course this was documented but they burnt all the evidence.

Ya these vuvuzela's spread disease badly . It is a wonder we even have any local football fans left.

 

[Jola]

... soweto derby i recall 20000 infected with TB .

And if that figure is correct, would it still be a joke ???

TB can take years to manifest !

 

[LancelotSA]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Best we stop fans shouting support for their teams too... no doubt the odd bit of saliva floats through the air when this is done.

 

[Jola]

Best we stop fans shouting support for their teams too... no doubt the odd bit of saliva floats through the air when this is done.

Yes, but not nearly on the same scale !

 

[killadoob]

So what happens when people cough or sneeze at a game?

 

[Rosaudio]

So what happens when people cough or sneeze at a game?

Bless you ?

 

[Jola]

So what happens when people cough or sneeze at a game?

If they have TB, guess ???

But most people don't cough or sneeze through a 50cm tube directed into the air !

And if you have any manners at all, you cough/sneeze into your hands/tissue, or into your elbow !

 

[killadoob]

Your hand or elbow is not some tb sucking device .

 

[czc]

<snip> and after each performance, he would have to clear out at least a spoonful of saliva. <snip>

Explains why I saw people stop to shake out their vuvuzelas while we were in the streets of Joburg on Wednesday.

 

[Avenue]

Explains why I saw people stop to shake out their vuvuzelas while we were in the streets of Joburg on Wednesday.

on 702 people were complaining that spit was dripping onto them, from the end of the vuvuzelas behind them.... thats disgusting..... they were appealing to people to blow the vuvuzelas downwards lol

 

[rippedoff]

The Viruszela is multi purpose it annoys and deploys, coldsore fest 2010!

 

[bdt]

Geez i am sure it must be a huge problem considering how the SA's have been blowing them for years

All the same locals spreading spit with similar pathogens*, not so much of a big deal...

Ya these vuvuzela's spread disease badly . It is a wonder we even have any local football fans left.

Locals are immunised up the yin-yang.

Now, all these foreigners coming in and getting rained on - and taking their hardy new microscopic friends back to their home countries ...that may well turn out differently.

*unverified speculation

 

[papooze]

It could be a risk, apparently it can leave saliva bits suspended in air for hours which people can inhale.
But usually a fun and earnest activity like this doesn't cause huge problems, do wear ear plugs to avoid hearing damage.

 

[Avenue]

The Viruszela is multi purpose it annoys and deploys, coldsore fest 2010!

lol!!

LOL

Geez i am sure it must be a huge problem considering how the SA's have been blowing them for years, soweto derby i recall 20000 infected with TB

swine flu on the other hand has not been a problem for years....

 

[Jola]

... do wear ear plugs to avoid hearing damage.

15 min of a 100dB sound can cause permanent hearing loss.

Standing right behind a Boeing 747-200 on take-off results in a sound wave of 103dB !

A vuvuzela can produce a sound of 127dB.

Note that the dB scale is not linear, but logarithmic, so that a 127dB sound is much, MUCH louder than a 100dB sound, not just 27% louder.

 

[Jola]

swine flu on the other hand has not been a problem for years....

Not surprising, since the first outbreak since 1918 was in 2009, and we now have the first winter in SA since it started ...

 

[Sting]

http://www.sbnation.com/soccer

The Vuvuzela: An Examination Of The Fool's Trumpet

In case you don't know where all the racket is coming from during World Cup matches, you can thank the vuvuzela.

It's a sophisticated instrument capable of two notes: noise, and silence. It can only be played by individuals who know how to breathe. It's ubiquitous in soccer circles. And while we can't yet play it while simultaneously imbibing alcohol, we should probably be patient and give scientists some time to work on it.

In the spirit of fairness, let's take a look at the pros and cons offered by this instrument.

CONS:
- Noise pollution
- Potential hearing loss
- Can spread disease

PROS:
- Is loud
- Is a vuvuzela

A pretty open-and-shut case, if you ask me. Vuvuzelas should be played without recess in nearly every occasion. But I'll let you have the final word.

Poll
What do you think of vuvuzelas?
I like vuvuzelas
I love vuvuzelas

Hehehehehehe

 

[Positively Negative]

im not worried about Vuvuzela's spreading disease BUT i am worried about them causing this to the 'worst world cup ever' because of them?
So many disgustingly racist and dissapointing comments can be read in this video below i just wish those tossers overseas would understand its culture.
YES ..there is no rhythm but its part of Mzansi..
[video=youtube;SrYb9qtO8OQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrYb9qtO8OQ[/video]

 

[Tacet]

Spittle in the vuvu!? That's just disgusting. I'm a trumpet player myself, and it is only beginners who really get saliva into the trumpet. Experienced players also get moisture in the trumpet, but that's because of the condensation of your warm breath inside the instrument. Not sure if it is much more hygienic than saliva, but it's much less gross! On the vuvu I doubt if the condensation principal holds ground, though...

Just a note, the vuvuzela can easily make two notes (without counting silence). With a bit of skill you might even get out a third harmonic, though that is quite difficult, especially as the vuvu is quite thick for it's length.